I received a copy of Sunday Suppers in exchange for my thoughts. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I can’t help but think about all the cooking that goes on this weekend in my family! It’s like it starts on Wednesday and doesn’t stop until Sunday! I have said many times that I grew up in the North but with a very Southern upbringing. My father is from Mobile, Alabama and my mother is from Cleveland but her parents were from right outside of Huntsville, Alabama. Holiday Cooking and Sunday Suppers have always been a big deal in our family!
When my grandmother was living she was KNOWN for her cooking, people would come in town straight to her house because they knew they could get a great meal! And although she has been gone for 25 years there are still people that talk about her cooking! Honestly, there isn’t a time that I can remember coming in her house and there wasn’t food cooking unless she was sick and at that time she still had her menu set but my mother would do the cooking. My grandmother passed many years ago but her legacy has lived on through my mother and even my sister who she taught to cook at the young age of 7 years old! No matter when you come to her house you can get an amazing meal!
Food was my family’s way of showing love, and I love that the tradition carries on today!
Holiday Dinners or Sunday Suppers are still big in our family and today I love that we can put a modern spin on traditional items!
Even though I come from a family of cooks, there are many times when you run out of ideas or you want to try something new!
In that case, I suggest you try Sunday Suppers by Cynthia Graubart
“Organized in five distinct chapters, Sunday Suppers is designed to help you create delicious meals without too much muss and fuss. More than 50 easy-to-make main dishes are perfectly paired with appetizers or salads, sides, drinks, and desserts. Some of the delicious meals you’ll find inside include Braised Short Ribs served with Hot Bacon Potato Salad with Green Beans and finished with Mississippi Mud Cupcakes, or Fall Chicken Casserole with Fresh Herb Spoon Rolls, and Tart Cherry Crisp for dessert. You might want to try your hand at Tomato & Feta Shrimp, served alongside Herbs and Greens Salad, with Peach Melba Shortbread Bars for dessert (website).”
A Couple of Recipes from Sunday Suppers…
Cornbread with Lemon-Thyme Butter
Cornbread with Lemon-Thyme Butter
Serves 8 Hands-on 15 minutes Total 1 hour
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 1⁄4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Lemon-Thyme Butter
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with oil. Place skillet in preheated oven until hot, about 5 minutes.
- Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs, milk, and butter in a separate bowl, and add to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until combined. Carefully pour batter into hot skillet.
- Bake at 425°F until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature in skillet, about 30 minutes. Serve with Lemon-Thyme Butter.
Lemon-Thyme Butter
Makes about 1 cup Hands-on 5 minutes Total 5 minutes
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1⁄2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl.
Pasta with Burst Tomatoes and Mascarpone
Pasta with Burst Tomatoes and Mascarpone
“We’ve kept this pasta dish on the light side for our Sunday supper, but for a heartier meal, substitute an equal amount of sausage- or meat-filled ravioli for the cheese-filled. If you have extra tomatoes on hand, add those to the batch being broiled, then reserve some to add to omelets, salads, or sandwiches during the week. The Cucumber and Sugar Snap Salad is light but full of flavor. Edamame beans and strips of radish pack a punch of protein and flavor. For dessert, pears sautéed in butter and brown sugar might steal the show.
Prepare the salad up to four hours in advance, but allow at least one hour for chilling. No cukes or sugar snaps on hand? Almost any raw veggie will do. Try using bell peppers, jicama, or fresh corn kernels. The tomatoes can be broiled and left to rest until needed, or prepared along with the pasta as directed. The pasta dish takes just 15 minutes if the ingredients are prepped ahead. The brown sugar pears are a quick dessert—perhaps made while someone else does the dishes (Excerpt from Sunday Suppers)?”
Pasta with Burst Tomatoes and Mascarpone
Serves 6 Hands-on 15 minutes Total 15 minutes
1 (24-ounce) package frozen cheese-filled ravioli
3 pints assorted grape tomatoes
1 large tomato, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄4 cup butter, cubed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup torn assorted fresh herbs (such as parsley and basil)
1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese
- Prepare pasta according to package directions, and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, preheat broiler with oven rack 4 to 5 inches from heat. Stir together tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil in a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Broil 5 to 8 minutes or until tomatoes are charred, stirring halfway through.
- Transfer tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in butter, next 3 ingredients, and 1⁄4 cup fresh herbs. Spoon over hot cooked ravioli; dollop with cheese. Sprinkle with remaining 1⁄4 cup fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
This time of the year there are all types of dinners and parties centered around food. If you are looking for a great dish to make for your family or to bring to an event I highly recommend Sunday Suppers! Easy recipes to create great meals to share with others!
